Win7 install FAQ

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equate975

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 13, 2005
Messages
140
I thought I would write this out because I keep seeing the same questions over and over and over. This FAQ is just about win7 installs. I work for geek squad (yes very prestigious) and I will put in what I have officially been told about win 7 from MS.

1. What is a upgrade install vs. custom?

A upgrade install is exactly what it sounds like, it will upgrade your OS to win7. A "custom" install is a clean install, it will wipe your HD and install win7 from scratch.

2. Will all my data be lost?

If you do an upgrade install, MS claims (I say claims because I can easily see this not happening) that all your data will be saved and put into place once win7 is installed. At the same time, it wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if some people lost data. The long answer is no, your data shouldn't be lost, but I would highly recommend backing it up first.

3. Can I upgrade from Vista, XP, 2000, 98 etc? What about 32 bit to 64 and vise versa?
You can upgrade from vista or XP only. it. 32 to 64 bit upgrades and vice versa will not work either, you must do a clean install.

Parmenides said:
What about "upgrading" from a blank new unused hard drive? Would I put 7 in first, then register XP after the install?
Click to expand...

No, in order to "upgrade" the win7 install disc must see that there is a windows install currently on the HD. If you had xp lets say, then go in an wipe it before using the win7 install dvd it won't allow you to "upgrade." You must have windows on the HD, a blank one will not work

4. What is the difference between all the versions?

Check this chart here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions

//end of official information.

There has been some questions about what will really happen with a win7 install. Just from reading various threads here I will try to report what I have seen.

1. Doing a custom install with the upgrade dvd and key on a BLANK HD.

It will install, but your key will be rejected at the install. If you don't provide a key, it will install, but when you try to activate at the desktop it will reject your key.

2. Using a vista dvd for verification on a blank HD for a custom install with an upgrade dvd and key.

No word as of yet. I know in other apps (like office) you don't need to install the older version then upgrade it, it will just ask for the old cd and key to make sure its legit. If this will work with win7 I have no idea.

If I forgot anything let me know, I know most of the official facts about win7 so feel free to ask.

equate975 said:
Ok I found out that an "upgrade" from XP is possible. It's not really an upgrade though. If you have an XP install win7 will find it and allow you to do a "custom" install, which will wipe the drive and install win7. This will not backup any data or anything, it will be a complete clean install.
Click to expand...
 
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So I have Win XP installed on my PC, and I got the Win 7 'upgrade' disk. I plan to do a clean install using the Win 7 'Upgrade' version (Letting setup format my drive). Will I run into issues with the CD-Key?

Microsoft's site clearly states that you can use the 'Upgrade' version of Win 7 if you own XP.
 
Another question for you:

Obviously you cannot do an in-place upgrade from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Win7. BUT, will it still let you use the upgrade disc? If I have a legit, activated install of 32-bit Vista, will I be able to use the Win7 64-bit upgrade disc to do a fresh install?

Thanks in advance.
 
Direwolf20 said:
So I have Win XP installed on my PC, and I got the Win 7 'upgrade' disk. I plan to do a clean install using the Win 7 'Upgrade' version (Letting setup format my drive). Will I run into issues with the CD-Key?

Microsoft's site clearly states that you can use the 'Upgrade' version of Win 7 if you own XP.
Click to expand...
You can use the upgrade version of Win7 if you own XP, but you can't perform an "upgrade" install. You can only perform a "custom" or full wipe and install that doesn't retain your personal files and data.
 
smartpatrol said:
Another question for you:

Obviously you cannot do an in-place upgrade from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Win7. BUT, will it still let you use the upgrade disc? If I have a legit, activated install of 32-bit Vista, will I be able to use the Win7 64-bit upgrade disc to do a fresh install?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Yes, the upgrade button will be greyed out, and you should be able to perform the "custom" install.
 
Menelmarar said:
You can use the upgrade version of Win7 if you own XP, but you can't perform an "upgrade" install. You can only perform a "custom" or full wipe and install that doesn't retain your personal files and data.
Click to expand...

Thanks, thats what I was planning to do, but I wanted to make sure I wouldn't then run into CD-Key troubles. :)
 
Menelmarar said:
Yes, the upgrade button will be greyed out, and you should be able to perform the "custom" install.
Click to expand...

Wait. . . don't the upgrade discs have both 32-bit and 64-bit versions on them? If so, then the upgrade button would be active, right? Will I still be able to install the 64-bit version by using a custom install?
 
Just to let you know, the vista upgrade trick works.

You can have a blank hard drive, install 7 with no key. Boot into that installation, use the upgrade disk again, chose upgrade, put in your key and activate.
 
My preorder from Amazon isn't arriving till Monday, and while I should wait, I am not going to have time to do two installs and a bunch of other programs installs and updates until the weekend. Would Win 7 still run without problems if I installed everything Saturday, install all my programs and applications, but don't activate Win 7 (because the CD's won't arrive until Monday) until I get my CD's in the few days after? Otherwise, I would have to wait another week but more if I end up being out of town or extremely busy at work.
 
I assume when they say Win 7 home premium supports up to 1 physical CPU they do NOT mean 1 core. In other words, there's no problem running my 4-core i7-920.

I think they should have meant 1 physical chip. Or am I wrong in thinking that distinct cores within the chip are separate physical processors? As opposed to logical CPUs?
Z
 
Zyme said:
I assume when they say Win 7 home premium supports up to 1 physical CPU they do NOT mean 1 core. In other words, there's no problem running my 4-core i7-920.

I think they should have meant 1 physical chip. Or am I wrong in thinking that distinct cores within the chip are separate physical processors? As opposed to logical CPUs?
Z
Click to expand...
Yes, 1 physical chip, that chip is essentially one CPU. It just has 4 cores.

Your i7-920 should show up in Windows as 8 logical "cpus" in task manager, correct?
 
Menelmarar said:
Yes, 1 physical chip, that chip is essentially one CPU. It just has 4 cores.

Your i7-920 should show up in Windows as 8 logical "cpus" in task manager, correct?
Click to expand...

wouldnt this be 4 logical cpus instead of 8 its only a quad core isnt it ??meaning 4, not a octagon core meaning 8??? or am I confused because Im not up on my current cpu technology like I would like to be but I did check this cpu and its says its only a quad core... just wondering if that was a typo..
 
Blackhood said:
Just to let you know, the vista upgrade trick works.

You can have a blank hard drive, install 7 with no key. Boot into that installation, use the upgrade disk again, chose upgrade, put in your key and activate.
Click to expand...

Sure doesnt work for me...I did a bootcamp install on my Macbook Pro and I get an error when I try to run the upgrade disk again in Windows 7 (saying it can't create the file) and I get an error when I try to register my product ID with MS saying its an upgrade not a product for clean installs.
 
nomak said:
wouldnt this be 4 logical cpus instead of 8 its only a quad core isnt it ??meaning 4, not a octagon core meaning 8??? or am I confused because Im not up on my current cpu technology like I would like to be but I did check this cpu and its says its only a quad core... just wondering if that was a typo..
Click to expand...

Hyperthreading on the i7 family creates four additional logical CPU's, hence why a quad with HT would show as eight :).
 
Ok did some more playing and hopefully this will be useful for some other people:

I was trying to install Windows 7 Home Premium to my Macbook Pro using BootCamp. I tried doing a clean install and my key didn't work.

Next up I installed Vista Home Premium OEM 32 Bit using bootcamp. I never registered it with MS and reran bootcamp again with W7 Home Premium 64 bit. I had some issues booting to the CD for whatever reason, but finally was able to boot. I selected a custom install, formatted the drive to wipe out any trace of Vista, and installed W7. It asked for my Product key and it worked this time around.

The only issue I need to take a look at is that it no longer boots directly into OSX...which also happened when I put the W7 beta on. Thats an easy fix anyways...
 
Blackhood said:
Just to let you know, the vista upgrade trick works.

You can have a blank hard drive, install 7 with no key. Boot into that installation, use the upgrade disk again, chose upgrade, put in your key and activate.
Click to expand...

I've done the Vista upgrade double install trick with Vista and was quite pleased to read this post but then GT98 posted...

GT98 said:
Ok did some more playing and hopefully this will be useful for some other people:

I was trying to install Windows 7 Home Premium to my Macbook Pro using BootCamp. I tried doing a clean install and my key didn't work.

Next up I installed Vista Home Premium OEM 32 Bit using bootcamp. I never registered it with MS and reran bootcamp again with W7 Home Premium 64 bit. I had some issues booting to the CD for whatever reason, but finally was able to boot. I selected a custom install, formatted the drive to wipe out any trace of Vista, and installed W7. It asked for my Product key and it worked this time around.

The only issue I need to take a look at is that it no longer boots directly into OSX...which also happened when I put the W7 beta on. Thats an easy fix anyways...
Click to expand...

I suspect bootcamp is causing some funniness there. It sounds as if you can use an upgrade key for Win 7 from a non-activated 'trial' install of Vista? That's exactly contrary to what MS has been saying but if so that would be great if double-installing Win 7 upgrade won't work. You're just substituting a Vista trial install for the first step instead of a Win 7 trial install. Am I understanding what you did correctly? And you were able to activate your Win 7 upgrade clean install even though the upgrade-fom OS was an unactivated Vista?
 
Madman,

I did this:

Bootcamp setup
Vista install
boot into OSX
Run bootcamp Windows Installer
Run W7 Install disk (had some problems with it, but I think its Mac Specific)
W7 install finishes, asks for Product Key...took it

Vista was never activated, I never even put in a Product key when I installed it. The Vista installation asked me which type of Vista I had (32bit Home Premium) when I did this.

I already activated my copy of W7 and it passed verification when I put in MS's new Anti-virus suite.
 
Apparently, if you obtained a Family Pack, you ARE able to use the included key to do a clean install. I was able to activate two of my pc's with 7HP on them using the Family Pack key. Essentially, this should mean the Family Pack licenses are full retail instead of upgrade retail. I have to admit that I installed 7HP prior to obtaining the Family Pack key (obviously), but I was able to activate without having to reinstall or "upgrade" whatsoever. :D

As far as I've read though, those who purchased single upgrades need to have a fully activated version of Vista installed. :(
 
Ok I found out that an "upgrade" from XP is possible. It's not really an upgrade though. If you have an XP install win7 will find it and allow you to do a "custom" install, which will wipe the drive and install win7. This will not backup any data or anything, it will be a complete clean install.
 
What about "upgrading" from a blank new unused hard drive? Would I put 7 in first, then register XP after the install?
 
Parmenides said:
What about "upgrading" from a blank new unused hard drive? Would I put 7 in first, then register XP after the install?
Click to expand...

No you have to have some sort of OS on it, I wasn't able to install W7 on my Macbook Pro untill I put Vista on it. I didn't register it or anything, and did a custom clean install since I went from 32 bit to 64 bit on it

I was also able to use my other upgrade copy with the W7 RC I had on my desktop. Yet again I did a custom clean install (which I wanted to anyways) and it took the key no problem
 
Ascario said:
As far as I've read though, those who purchased single upgrades need to have a fully activated version of Vista installed. :(
Click to expand...

No you don't I did my one upgrade from an unactivated copy of Vista and another upgrade from the W7 RC. Both partitions where wiped out though, which I wanted to do.
 
Parmenides said:
What about "upgrading" from a blank new unused hard drive? Would I put 7 in first, then register XP after the install?
Click to expand...

No, in order to "upgrade" the win7 install disc must see that there is a windows install currently on the HD. If you had xp lets say, then go in an wipe it before using the win7 install dvd it won't allow you to "upgrade." You must have windows on the HD, a blank one will not work
 
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